CAVS CAUGHT IN DRAFT

The worst day of the Cleveland Cavaliers season was last Tuesday and nothing else comes close.

Not only did the Cavs fall behind Boston 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals but LeBron James took a Jayson Tatum shoulder to the head. LeBron returned after a quick trip to the locker room and finished the game. But Cleveland was outscored 71-47 after LeBron went down and lost an 11-point lead.

The bad vibes really started just prior to tip-off when the Cavs failed to move up in the NBA Draft Lottery. Instead, they will select eighth, one spot after Chicago and one spot ahead of the Knicks. When Cleveland acquired the Brooklyn Nets pick from Boston in the Kyrie Irving trade they were hoping for a top 3 pick that would potentially be an attractive trading chip. The eighth pick doesn’t have nearly the same value.

That now limits Cleveland’s options in upgrading the roster before LeBron hits free agency on July 1. No matter how the conference finals end, Cleveland needs to make moves if it wants to keep LeBron.

In retrospect the club didn’t get enough for Kyrie. The deal resulted in the eighth overall pick plus Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood.